This invention relates generally to a data carrier and a method for making the data carrier. More particularly, this invention relates to a data carrier having a see-through portion that allows revealing security features with a different appearance under special lighting conditions, and a method for making such a data carrier.
Data carriers, such as driving licenses, identity cards, membership cards, badges or passes, passports, discount cards, banking cards, money cards, multi-application cards, and other papers of value; and security documents such as bank notes are widely used. Because of the value and importance associated with each of these data carriers, they are often the subject of unauthorized copying and alterations, and forgeries.
To prevent such activities from being carried out on these data carriers, different types of visual and touchable security features have been added to data carriers. One of these security features is a clear or see-through portion through the body of a data carrier.
One prior art method of making a card with a see-through window involves printing white ink on a surface of a transparent core layer, leaving an unprinted area for defining a see-through window. The method further includes laminating the printed surface of the transparent core layer with a protective layer.
Another prior art method of making a card with a see-through window involves creating an orifice in an opaque layer and sandwiching the opaque layer between two transparent layers to create a see-through window through the two transparent layers
A further prior art method of making such a card involves making an orifice in each of a pair of opaque layers. The pair of opaque layers are laminated onto opposite sides of a transparent layer with the orifices aligned to form a see-through window.
A yet further prior art method of making such a card includes creating an orifice in an opaque white core layer, and filling the orifice with transparent plastic to define a see-through window in the opaque layer
The applicant has also found a further method that is simpler and cost-effective for producing a data carrier with a see-through window whose edge is more clearly defined and which does not weaken the structure of the card. Such a data carrier is schematized in cross-sectional view in FIG. 1. This method includes applying a layer of separation material 14 to a surface of one of an at least translucent layer 16 and a backing layer 8, and fixedly attaching the other of the translucent layer and the backing layer to that surface of the layer. The backing layer 8 may be less translucent than the translucent layer 16. In other words, less light passes through the backing layer than the translucent layer. The backing layer may be an opaque layer. The separation material 14 prevents a part of the backing layer abutting it from being completely fixedly attached to the translucent layer. The method further includes removing at least a portion 25 of the backing layer 8 abutting the separation material 14 to uncover a portion of the translucent layer adjacent the portion of the opaque layer. The uncovered portion of the translucent layer defines a see-through portion 24 of the data carrier. The method further includes a non-mandatory step consisting in removing the separation material 14 that is exposed after the portion of the backing layer abutting it has been removed.
Markings are then created at the transparent layer 16, wherein a laser beam (not shown) is irradiated to create markings 34 at the transparent layer 16. These markings 34 may include, but are not limited to, personalized information and data, such as name, date of birth, address, personal number, signature, portrait, etc. These markings 34 are created at portions of the transparent layer 16 that are backed by the backing layer 8, which aids legibility of the markings 34. A security feature 36 is also created at the window 24 of the transparent layer 16. Security feature 36 may include, but is not limited to, an hologram or a fingerprint, or an iris scan, etc. These markings 34, 36 may be created on an outer surface of the inner surface of the transparent layer 16 or within the volume of the transparent layer 16.
All data carriers having a see-through portion, manufactured according to any known process, may have security markings created on the surface or within the volume of the see-through portion. However, infringers can still copy or alter the security markings of the existing see-through windows. Infringers can also try to remove a basic window and try to replace it with something else or insert it into another data carrier.
Considering the above, a problem intended to be solved by the invention is to provide a data carrier comprising an at least translucent layer defining a see-through portion of the data carrier, said see-through portion having a first side and a second side and carrying security markings, said see-through portion having an improved security, being even more difficult to reproduce by infringers, even more difficult to remove, replace or exchange and easy to check.